North Carson Street looking northeast in the 1950s.
Saturday
150 Years Ago
Sailing on the lake. That musical, military and nautical genius, Mr. Maish, has built and taken to Lake Tahoe several capacious row and sail boats, and will spend a portion of the time this summer at that place. The boats, we understand, will be kept for the use of pleasure parties — for a consideration.
140 Years Ago
A fact note generally known is that the Chinese domestics in this town are all kept poor by gambling in the lotteries that are conducted by their countrymen. Several Carson Chinese people have made fortunes here in that swindling business.
120 Years Ago
The bad blood which has existed between Barney Riley and James Gillian of Searchlight almost culminated in a tragedy last Monday morning. After a few short words Gillian went to the bunk house for the shotgun. His return was a signal for a wild stampede for cover. Riley grabbed foreman Lippin from behind and used him for a shield. For a while the men danced around Gillian trying to get a shot at his enemy, but finally a bystander grabbed the gun. It discharged, but no one was hurt. Gillian took a French leave immediately. Deputies followed for twenty miles but gave up the chase — Lincoln County Searchlight.
70 Years Ago
The minimum wage rate for women in Nevada has been increased from 50 to 75 cents per hour by an amendment to the minimum wage law enacted by the 1953 session of the legislature.
30 Years Ago
Gov. Bob Miller announced Wednesday that the city of Carson has been awarded $58,000 from the Nevada Community Development Block Grant programs for the renovation of two existing buildings at the former Northern Nevada Children’s Home.
Sunday
150 Years Ago
This is the day set apart by the Grand Army of the Republic as the time for making the annual floral decorations of the graves of deceased union soldiers. It is a notable and noteworthy fact that all offices and places where the government is represented are closed on each recurrence of the day.
140 Years Ago
Tomorrow being Decoration Day the Mint and other public offices will be closed. Judge Murphy, of Esmeralda, is sending quite a number of boarders to Warden Bell’s Hotel.
120 Years Ago
May 30 is Memorial Day, and in Carson it will be observed in the simple manner which has prevailed here during the last few years. The services will, as heretofore, be conducted under the auspices of the Custer Post, but the “old boys” are now too few in number and many of them too much enfeebled to put forth efforts. Memorial Day is a beautiful custom, one inspired by beautiful thoughts.
70 Years Ago
A Memorial Day service will be held at Stewart preceding the 10 o’clock ceremony scheduled for Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City tomorrow. Baccalaureate service for Carson will take place at the school gymnasium Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
30 Years Ago
The Ormsby County Education Association might fight a decision made Tuesday by the school board to stop subsidizing health insurance premiums for employee’s dependents.
Tuesday
150 Years Ago
An irate dalmatian waiter who serves at one of our hotels vented his wrath upon a heathen Chinese yesterday by smashing a plate upon his head, which indulgence in broken crockery and scarified China cost the young belligerent $15, that being the sum adjudged against him by his honor Mr. Justice Witherell. He put up and therefore was not shut up.
140 Years Ago
The Carson Appeal brought suit against Ormsby County last week for a bill of advertising that the county commissioners would not allow. To be honest, we did not look for the Appeal to win. There is so much paid headed prejudice against the press of the state that it is hard to work for it to come out ahead in such a case as this — Lyon County Times (The Appeal won the case).
120 Years Ago
No children have been admitted to the state Orphan’s Home since last September until the 26th of this month, when five came in three days, under the new law which provides for the admission of children not orphans. Of these five, three went from Ormsby County, one from Washoe and one from Churchill. The total number of children in the home is sixty-three, the smallest number of inmates in that institution for 15 years.
70 Years Ago
Photo caption: Fears of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce that it may have to sell “Old No. 27” of the Virginia & Truckee railroad because it cannot find a suitable public exhibition site have been widely publicized in west coast papers.
30 Years Ago
When Joe Torsitano isn’t a technician at a Carson City radio station, he can be found in the midst of smoke and fire operating the historic steam up locomotive at the Nevada State Railroad Museum.
Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.